Far Away but Always Close
by Stray Dreamer
Summary: Ikuto and Amu were always best friends. But when Ikuto joins the marines, they're separated for the first time, but Amu has no intention of being left behind. She goes her own way to feel closer to Ikuto, making friends, and finding something else...
1. Chapter 1

**I think this story needs a bit of an explanation. You see, my good friend joined the marines a year and a half ago, so this is based slightly off my own experience. Slightly. Very slightly. This idea just came to me when I was thinking about him.**

**I don't own Shugo Chara, but it owns me. :)**

* * *

"I've got the popcorn," Ikuto said, walking into the kitchen to pop some.

"I'll get the root beer then," I said, following him.

It was Friday night, our movie night. It was a tradition of ours. Ever since we were fourteen, we'd watch a movie with popcorn and root beer every Friday night. We had never missed one in the almost four years that the tradition was established. Old movies were our favorite. I don't know how many times we've watch Indiana Jones.

Ikuto and I had been best friends since first grade. He had transferred to my elementary school mid-semester because he had just moved into the small area. The teacher had asked everyone to make him feel welcome. None of the other kids had any trouble approaching him to talk. I did. I didn't have any friends due to my "cool and spicy" attitude, and I had trouble talking to people. So while everyone else was busy huddling around him like a new, shiny toy, I was sitting in my corner seat by the window, seemingly disinterested.

As I was brushing a stray, pink hair away from my face, I felt a pair of eyes on me. I turned my head to meet the sapphire gaze of the blue-haired, new boy. He was looking at me curiously while in the midst of all the other kids. He could've been staring at me because of my unusual, pink hair or strange, golden eyes or why I was all alone. Whatever it was, he later told me that I seemed interesting and different.

After everyone returned to their seats, I noticed the new boy sitting right next to me in the back row.

"Yo," he said, "I'm Ikuto."

"Amu," I said with a curt nod.

Whenever he tried to talk to me, I'd usually ignore him, shy as I was. But eventually, he broke through my armor, and I talked to him more, little by little. It was only then that I realized he didn't really talk to anyone else but me. We were both loners, somewhere in our own little world.

As soon as I figured that out, I became more comfortable around him, and soon we were best friends. We always have been, ever since. Never separated. Now, eleven years later, our friendship has never waned.

"Hey, Amu," Ikuto said, pulling me out of my memories, "you still want caramel seasoning on the popcorn?"

I rose an eyebrow. "You really have to ask?" He smiled, and sprinkled some over the popcorn.

I headed out to the living room, and set the tall, ice-cold glass of root beer on the coffee table before sinking into the small, cozy couch. Ikuto took his place next to me, and set the big bowl of popcorn on our legs. I took a handful, popped it into my mouth, and grabbed the remote. We already had the DVD, Forrest Gump, set and ready to go. All I needed to do was press play.

As the movie started, I propped my feet up on the table, and Ikuto did the same.

"What did you think of the principal's magnificent speech about spring break?" Ikuto asked sarcastically.

I snorted, and shook my head. "Sometimes I wonder about him," I said with a slight smile. Our principal, Tsukasa, was very kind and 'dazzling' to some people. He also loved cats. He's a bit...unusual.

"Yeah," Ikuto said, chuckling. "I can't believe he actually said that. He could probably get fired. But, knowing him, he'd just talk his way out of it quickly."

"Definately," I said with a giggle. Tsukasa's speech had been very different from most pre-spring break talks. After he was done, it earned an auditorium-wide groan mixed in with a few nervous laughs.

"So," Ikuto said after awhile, "excited for our trip?"

"Of course!" I exclaimed. Since this week was spring break, my family and the Tsukiyomi's were vacationing down in Florida. It was usually somewhere smaller and less expensive, but it was Ikuto's and my last spring break in high school, so our parents surprised us with this.

"Really?" Ikuto asked, and I knew by his tone that he was going to tease me. "You probably just want to see me in swimming shorts with no shirt on." He smirked.

I knew it. "As if, stupid cat," I said, scowling.

He shook his head with that idiotic smirk still intact and turned back to Forrest visiting Jenny.

The popcorn was finished, so I set it on the table, next to the empty glass of root beer. I lay my head down on the couch's arm rest, and moved my legs to rest on Ikuto's lap. When it was close to the scene where Bubba dies, I sat up to sit on the edge of the sofa. I hated this part. I cried everytime.

Sure enough, my eyes filled with tears right before Forrest found him. Ikuto took my hand, and pulled me back into the couch. He knew I would cry, so he wiped away the tears before they could spill over. Once the scene was over, our hands, still entwined, rested in between us. That's how it always went. We watched the rest of the movie in compatible silence until the last scene came to a close.

I sighed and said, "Good movie."

"You say that everytime," Ikuto said.

"Because it is!"

"It makes you cry though," he pointed out.

"So?" I said, crossing my arms.

He shrugged, shaking it off. "What do you think, Amu? Is life like a box of chocolates?" He asked with a smirk.

"Yep," I said, grinning back, "I never know what I'm going to get, especially with you." I squeezed his hand with the last sentence, rolling my eyes, and realized we were still holding hands. I blushed slightly, and let go to put away the bowl and cup.

"Have you packed yet?" Ikuto asked, following behind me.

I shook my head. "I was going to do that now. Have you?"

"No, I'll go do that now too, and take a shower. Then I'll be back, cool?"

"Yeah," I said, "see you then." He headed for the front door, and Mama, Papa, and Ami entered before he reached it.

"Hey family," he said with a small wave.

"Big Brother!" Ami exclaimed, jumping on him.

"Hey Ami," he said with a laugh.

I smiled at the familiar sight. Some things never change. Even at ten-years-old, Ami is still the same as always. Ikuto set her down, and said, "I'll be back soon."

"Are you staying the night, Ikuto?" Mama asked.

"Mama!" Papa bawled. "Ikuto is a boy, he can't stay over!"

"Nonsense, he stays over all the time. Amu stays at his house too."

Papa was going on about "his little sparrow" when Ikuto answered Mama.

"I may," he said with a small smirk. "See ya."

I padded upstairs to my room, comtemplating what to pack. I picked out a few outfits and some modest, two-piece swimsuits--everything in my usual style. After some thought, I threw in a light pink, cotton dress in my bag, just in case. I'd pack everything else later.

With that I hopped into the steamy shower to get cleaned up. As I rubbed my strawberry-scented shampoo through my hair, I thought of Tadase. He was a little upset that I was going on this trip. He had wanted to spend time with me this spring break. I mean, Tadase was my boyfriend and all, but my bond with Ikuto was a lot stronger. I reassured him that it would be alright, and we'd have plenty of time after I got back, but he still didn't seem too pleased. He accepted it though, and I had given him a hug and peck on the cheek as goodbye after school today.

I dried off and dressed in the bathroom, knowing Ikuto would probably already be here. Sure enough, when I walked into my room, glass of milk in hand, he was lying on my bed. I jumped slightly, still startled even though I was expecting it. I noticed the balcony door was open.

"You can't take the front door like a normal person?" I asked, sitting next to him and taking a sip of cool milk.

"That wouldn't be any fun," he said.

"Apparently not," I said. "All set to leave tomorrow?"

"Yes," he replied. "I can't believe it's our last spring break before we graduate."

"Yeah, but at least we have all summer," I said happily.

He didn't answer. I looked at him to see he had a guarded expression on his face. "What's wrong?" I asked.

He glanced at me before looking away. "Nothing," he said. I could tell he was hiding something, but I let it go. He'd tell me when he was ready.

"We'd better get some sleep," I said, slipping under the covers.

He pulled a blanket and pillow onto the floor, and I shut the lamp off.

"Goodnight, Ikuto," I called to the floor.

"Goodnight, Amu," he said. There was something wrong with his voice. He sounded wistful, almost sad. I drifted off to sleep slowly, wondering why Ikuto had been acting so strange lately...

~*~

I woke up the next morning to see yellow rays of sunshine coming through the big window, casting a warm, morning glow over my bed. I tried to sit up, but realized I couldn't move. .

My back was pressed into something warm, and I was locked in the embrace of a particular set of arms. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. Each time he stayed, or if I stayed at his house, this happened. Once I fell asleep, he'd climb into bed with me. Freakin' pervert.

I flipped over so I was facing him, and started playing with his ears--they were his weakness.

"Amu," he groaned in frustration, burying his face in the pillow. He loosened his grasp, and I sat up.

"Good kitty," I commended, patting his head.

He looked at me with a weak glare.

"Come on," I said, suddenly excited. "Big day today! Let's go!"

He got up, and we went downstairs to find my mom making pancakes.

"There's the sleepyheads! Just in time for breakfast," she said.

After we were done eating, Ikuto said, "I better head home and see if my parents need any help."

"Kay," I said, "see ya at the airport." He waved, and my family and I got everything loaded and set to go before heading to the airport. Once there, we met up with the Tsukiyomi's, and I hugged my "other parents," Souko and Aruto.

We went through the whole boarding process, Ami squealing with delight about all the cool devices and metal detectors. I took the window seat next to Ikuto. When we were in the air, I smiled at the view from the sky. I loved it. After a few mintutes of staring out the window, Ikuto and I started talking. He, of course, was teasing me.

"Aw," I heard someone say. I saw an elderly couple sitting across the aisle from us, the old woman speaking. "Don't they make an adorable couple?" she asked her husband.

I waved my hands to dismiss the issue. "N-No, we're not--" I was cut off by Ikuto putting his arm around my shoulder.

"Thanks," he said.

"Ikuto--"

"Ah Amu, it's just for fun."

I rolled my eyes, about to protest some more, when I saw Aruto looking at Ikuto with a questioning expression. His face was stern. I immediately felt a shift in Ikuto's demeanor. Ikuto shook his head, and Aruto sighed.

"Ikuto?" I questioned, looking at his hardened face. His blue-violet eyes held a secretive sadness.

"It's nothing," he said, his voice serious.

"What is it?" I asked. "What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing," he said firmly.

"We never keep screts! Why--"

"Amu," Ikuto said, his tone was something I didn't hear very often. He only used it when he was dead serious or angry with me.

"Fine," I huffed angrily. I turned back to the window, and pressed my forehead against the glass. I glared at the fluffy clouds that were passing by slowly. Why would he keep secrets from me? We never have secrets, ever. And it's obviously nothing good.

"Amu," Ikuto said in a gentler tone.

"Hm," I said, not moving.

"I'm sorry. Please don't be mad."

I finally looked at him reluctantly. He looked serious, and pleading, contradicting his usual playful features. I felt my shoulders sag with released tension, and my face softened. I whispered, "I hate it when you keep things from me."

"I know," he murmured. "I'm sorry."

We were silent for the rest of the plane ride, with me wondering about what he didn't want to tell me.

~*~

"Wow," I said, looking across the wide beach to the sparkling, aqua ocean. "It's so pretty."

We were at an exclusive resort on the beach, curtesy of the Tsukiyomi's. There weren't very many people here since it was private, and Ikuto and I got our own room while Aruto and Souko had their own room, and Mama, Papa, and Ami shared a room. Papa protested about Ikuto and I sharing a room, but relented after Mama calmed him down. Besides, it's not as if I was going to let him sleep on the bed. I would kick him right back onto the floor if he tried to get on the bed. Cruel, I know.

Ikuto and I entered our rooom, and looked around. There was a soft, king-sized bed with a white canopy draped over the bedposts, a couch and television with a DVD player, a small fridge, microwave, and a nice bathroom. Best of all, there was a sliding glass door that led directly to the beautiful beach. We set our bags down in an empty corner, and stood in silent awe for a moment.

"We're going to the beach," Souko said, peeking in our open doorway. I looked at Ikuto, and he nodded. I went into the spacious bathroom to change into my deep red tankini. I flipped my hair into a ponytail and called it good. Ikuto was waiting for me in just his board shorts.

I blushed when I saw his bare chest. It was nothing new. I'd seen it before, but still....

He smirked at my embarrassed reaction. "You match your swimming suit, Amu," he said teasingly.

"Sh-Shut up," I muttered, heading for the door. He just chuckled and followed me.

As soon as my feet hit the sand, I smiled contentedly. I loved the feel of the warms sand on the bottom of my feet, and once I saw the ocean, I couldn't contain myself. I ran as fast as I could toward the crystal water. I waded in waist deep, and started splashing around with a delighted laughed like a two-year-old. I looked to the beach, and saw Ikuto watching me with an amused smile.

"What's the matter?" I taunted. "Does the kitty not like the water?"

"I hate water," he said. "I was just humoring you with putting these on." He gestured at his shorts.

"Sure, sure," I said, waving my hand. "I guess I'll just have to enjoy this all on my own."

"Guess so," he said, smirking.

I scowled. "Come on! You're going to have to get in eventually!"

"No I won't."

"Fine, see if I care," I said, going under to swim away.

When I came up for air, I was suddenly pushed back under by a set of hands. I came back up to see a fully soaked Ikuto glaring at me. He didn't look happy at all.

"You better be thankful," he said, "I don't get in water for just anyone you know."

I just looked at him adnd blinked. Then I laughed. "The l-look on your f-face!" I said between laughs.

He glared a moment more before smirking. Uh-oh. I started backing away, knowing nothing good could come from that smirk.

"Really Amu?" he said. "You should see the look on _your _face."

He came towards me quicker then I could back away and grabbed my shoulders. I shut my eyes, and cringed, waiting for whatever he was going to do.

When nothing happened, I opened one eye, and saw Ikuto trying to suppress laughter.

"You jerk!" I said, wrenching free. He just chuckled.

We argued until I forgave him, and I lost track of time as we swam around, and once, Ami dragged us off to help her build the "greatest sand castle ever made!". Since we arrived around mid-afternoon, it was already beginning to get dark, and our parents called us in to get ready for dinner.

~*~

"It's been a long day," I said, flopping onto the bed after changing into my silky pajamas. "Whoa!" I suddenly found myself disappearing into the fluffy mattress.

"Where'd Amu go?" Ikuto said. I could tell he was smirking.

"Haha," I muttered sarcastically, attempting to sit up. It was useless, so instead, I just rolled under the covers with a tired sigh. Ikuto joined me after shutting off the lights.

"What do you think you're doing?" I huffed.

"Sleeping," he replied.

"Not here you aren't. You get the floor," I said matter-of-factly.

"This bed is huge though," he argued.

"Yeah, but who knows what kind of perverted things you'll do."

"True," he said.

"Pervert!" I exclaimed, kicking him hard off the bed.

"Ouch," he said with a wince, "I was just kidding."

"Oh!" I said, ignoring him as I remembered something. "Could you hand me my phone? I should call Tadase."

He sighed, and tossed my phone to me, which had been sitting on the wooden bedside table. He seemed a little upset, but I brushed it off, figuring he just didn't want to get kicked off the bed.

I called, and Tadase answered on the third ring.

"Hey Tadase," I said with a smile.

"Hey Amu," he said, "how's Florida?"

"Wonderful! We're all having a great time. How are you?"

"That's good to hear," he replied. "I'm fine. I miss you though."

"I miss you too." Ikuto made a sour face. I glared at him. "I'd better get to sleep. It's been a long day. I just called to say goodnight."

"Okay," Tadase said. "Thanks for calling, and have fun. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I said, and hung up the phone, and threw it back to Ikuto, who set it back on the table.

"Why do you date the Kiddy King anyway?" he asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Because he's sweet, nice, cute, and...well lots of stuff," I defended weakly.

He rose an eyebrow skeptically from his place on the floor.

"Be quiet," I mumbled.

"I didn't say anything," he said, smirking.

"Yeah, you did. In your head."

His smirk grew. "So you're a mind reader now?"

"Maybe I am," I said crossing my arms.

He rested his arms on the bed, and leaned toward me. "Then what am I thinking now?"

I blushed. "Perverted thoughts," I said without hesitation. He chuckled and leaned back onto a pillow. Hey! When did he climb back onto the bed?!

"Ikuto?"

"Hm?"

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?"

He froze. "This is boring," he said, turning away from me.

"Why won't you answer the question?"

"Because I don't feel like it."

"Stubborn cat."

"Look whose talking."

"I'm not stubborn," I said.

"Yes you are," he said.

"Am not."

"You're being stubborn about being stubborn. I'd say you are."

"..."

"See?" he pointed out.

"Whatever," I replied in a huff.

I could tell by his stiff posture that there was still something wrong with him. I propped myself up on my elbow and pulled on his shoulder so that I could see his face. He kept his gaze on the creamy white walls.

"Ikuto," I said sternly. He still didn't look at me. I scowled darkly, and flicked his forehead.

"Ow," he said, rubbing it. "What was that for?"

I frowned and asked softly, "Please, tell me what's wrong."

He let out a long, heavy breath and said, "Everything?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing.

"Nothing," he said, rolling back away from me.

"Ikuto!" I exclaimed in exasperation.\

He didn't answer.

I sighed sadly, and my shoulders slumped in defeat. I put my head down and stared at his back for a while before closing my eyes.

I felt him sit up in the big bed, so I opened up my eyes just a bit. He was facing me, but his eyes were on the space between us. He had that same wistful, sad look again, like there was something that he regretted. I didn't like it at all. When he saw me looking at him, he collapsed beside me. "I'm sorry," he said.

At first, I thought he meant for not telling me what was going on, but it felt like it was something different. It felt like he was apologizing for two things at once.

"Idiot," I muttered.

~*~

The days during spring break passed quickly. They were filled with deep-sea fishing, swimming, building sand castles, and Ikuto and I even went parasailing. It was terrifying, and Ikuto just laughed at me the whole time that we were in the air. On Friday night, we watched a movie with our popcorn and root beer. I didn't bring up the secret he was keeping from me again. I wanted to make the best of this trip.

Since it was our last night here, I wore the pale pink dress to dinner. It was strapless, tight around my chest down to my hips, where it flowed like smooth water around my legs. Ikuto's eyes widened when he saw me in it, and I turned the color of a strawberry.

When the movie ended, Ikuto clicked it off. "Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked.

"Sure," I said, hopping up from the leather couch.

We left the cool, air-conditioned hotel room and out into the warm night, and made our way to the beach, which still held warmth from the hot sunshine, and strolled along the deserted shoreline. I smiled as the luke warm waves crashed and swarmed my feet and ankles. The bright moon and stars illuminated everything in the clear night. I saw a fast, yellow glow, and then another. Fireflies. Everything was so beautiful.

I felt Ikuto's eyes on my face, and looked up at him. He gave me a small smile, which I gladly returned. He took my hand, and for once, I didn't protest, and we went farther down the long beach before laying down away from the water.

We had our hands behind out heads, and our legs crossed at the ankles. I smiled up at the sky.

"You look beautiful," he whispered.

I blushed deep crimson. "T-Thanks."

He chuckled. "Silly girl."

After some time, I was starting to fall asleep. I think he could tell. "Maybe we should head back," he said.

I nodded, and he helped me to my feet, keeping hold of my hand.

I thought about how we must look. Holding hands, and lying on the beach together; we'd look like a couple to anyone who didn't know us, even if we weren't. And I had Tadase. But still, I'm not sure there's anyone I love more than Ikuto, even if it's just friendship. He's the one who has been with me the whole time, and was the one who helped me make all my friends, including him.

We finally made it back to our room, and I headed straight for the bed, not even bothering to pull back the covers. Ikuto laughed softly, and tucked me in, settling in next to me.

"Get to the floor, perverted cat," I mumbled weakly.

"I think I'll stay," he said with a smile. "You're too tired to kick me off."

I rose an eyebrow, said, "Wanna bet?" and kicked him right off the bed. "Don't underestimate me."

He glared, and just climbed right back in. Does he never learn. I sighed, and scooted closer to him anyway, grabbing his hand. I could tell that he was shocked by my action. I sighed contentedly. He pulled the covers up with the hand that I wasn't holding, and tucked it around us.

I knew that something was changing between us. It was something unknown and somewhat scary, but I didn't care at the moment. As far as I was concerned, this was the best place to be in the world right now.

* * *

**Ahh! Boring, I know. But the action will get going soon, I promise! It's just the first chapter...anyway! Let me know what you think! Any suggestions, grammar mistakes, and constructive critism is always welcome. Thanks. :) And if you want to read something really good, you should check out FBGoldfish's stories if you haven't already. Tagteam Matchmakers and A Misplaced Kiss are filled with amazing Amutoness!**

**~Stray**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sooooo...I was actually planning on updating Sunday, but I got a little caught up...by the very person who inspired this story. He...um...thought it would be great to come home, not even telling me, and give me a surprise for Easter! Him being the surprise obviously..I was a bit caught off-guard...yeah...anyway! So this is the second chapter. Hope it's okay. I typed it up when I was a bit distracted.**

* * *

After spring break, the rest of the school days passed in a slow blur. We went through the agonizing month of boring nothingness, and prom in April. We all went in a group, even though Tadase was my date. The anticipation of graduation was so thick in the air, I felt like I was almost being suffocated. But whenever graduation was brought up, I noticed Ikuto would assume a hardened expression, and he'd quickly change the subject. It was eating me up inside that I didn't know what was wrong.

But final exams were coming up, and I couldn't dwell too much on it. I needed to focus on studying. Ikuto and I studied hard everyday, Tadase joining us occasionally, along with Rima and Nagihiko. Kukai said he didn't need to study. He'd pass everything easily, so he said.

Before I knew it, finals were here. I took my time and answered every question delicately with just enough time to spare.

"Alright!" I exclaimed with a fist pump. "We're officially done! We just have the graduation ceremony, and then we're out of here!"

"You seem awfully excited," Ikuto said.

"I am." There it is again. The sad face. "And you should be too. We'll have all summer together before heading to college."

He hesitated a moment before saying, "Yeah."

We walked the rest of the way to Ikuto's house in silence. When we were inside, Aruto and Souko greeted us. Before we went on up to Ikuto's room, Aruto stopped Ikuto with a hand and gave him the same look he had in the air plane over spring break a couple months ago. Ikuto sighed, and shook his head.

"Ikuto," his father said in exasperation.

"I know," Ikuto said, shaking Aruto's hand off. I watched them carefully, wondering what this was all about, but decided not to ask.

Ikuto and I headed for his room, and just talked about pointless things. There was a knock on the door, and Souko stepped in.

"Your father wants to see you," she said.

"Okay," Ikuto replied, standing up. "I'll be right back Amu."

I nodded, waited a few mintues, and realized I needed to use the restroom. I walked down towards the end of the hallway where the bathroom was, and as I was passing by Souko and Aruto's almost shut door, I stopped. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help it once I heard my name.

"Why haven't you told Amu yet?" I heard Aruto ask.

Ikuto sighed. "I've been waiting for the right time."

"When is there going to be a right time?"

Ikuto didn't answer.

"Look, she's your best friend, right?"

"Yes."

"And you may like her as something more?"

"Dad," Ikuto said in his warning tone, "even if I did, that has nothing to do with this."

What? Ikuto liked me as more than a best friend? Or was that just what Aruto thought? Ikuto denied it right?

"All I'm saying is that she has a right to know before you drop it on her like a bombshell."

I quietly crept to the bathroom before I heard anything else. What the hell was going on?! What did Ikuto need to tell me? And why did he sound so closed off about it? I'm so confused.

I rinsed my face off with cool water, and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I composed my features into a calm mask to make it seem like nothing happened and I didn't overhear anything.

When I went back to his room, he still wasn't back. I waited, and he came in a couple minutes later.

"Hey," he said casually. Would he tell me whatever it was he was going to tell me? Or would he not tell me and leave me with this tension building up because I was worrying about when he would tell me what he had to tell me if he would tell me at all?

"Hey," I said. He didn't tell me anything.

Later, as I fell asleep, I wondered if he's ever tell me what it was. Maybe he would tell me tomorrow.

Oh wow. Tomorrow. _Graduation_. I forgot.

~*~

Today's the day. The day I'd be leaving high school for good. I pulled on a cranberry-colored, satin dress. It was halter-tied around my neck, leaving the back open. I pulled on silver heels, and decided to do something different with my hair, curling the ends and pulling part of it back into a low ponytail. My bangs framed my face in gentle tendrils. Lastly, I applied a hint of make-up, since I usually didn't wear any. I thought it would be nice if I did for graduation.

I was set.

"Amu!" Mama called. "I'm sending Ikuto up!"

He was right on time. I heard him enter my room. I walked out of my bathroom, right into his line of sight.

"What do you think?" I asked, twirling around. His jaw dropped slightly. I smirked. Ha! _I'm_ smirking at _him_ this time. Then I saw what he was wearing. Black, dress pants, a button-up, indigo shirt, and a black tie hanging loosely. I have to say, he looked pretty good. Okay, who am I kidding, he looked hot. Noticing my reaction to him, he smirked.

He walked towards me, and closed my mouth, which I hadn't realized was open. Smirk still in place, he pulled me into a warm embrace. "You look absolutely gorgeous," he whispered in my ear before pulling away.

"S-So do you," I muttered, blushing.

He chuckled and led me to his car. "See you at the ceremony!" Mama said.

We waved, and left. Pictures would be after, at the party. As we drove to school, my heart pounded, and my face felt hot. Why had I started getting this way around him? I didn't even feel like this around Tadase, so why was I getting so flustered around my best friend?! I sighed. We had both changed so much over the years, and whatever it was that I was feeling, was way confusing.

~*~

"Amu Hinamori!"

I walked up on the stage, clad in my burgundy cap and gown, praying to God that I wouldn't fall. As I took the diploma in my hands and shook Tsukasa's hand, I heaved a sigh of relief. I watched the rest of the students get theirs impatiently. I wanted to get out of here!

Finally, the ceremony ended. Our parents took pictures of us in our gowns, and me and Ikuto finally drove back to my house, where the small party would be. It consisted of Ikuto, Rima, Nagihiko, Tadase, Kukai, and a couple of our younger friends, Yaya and Kairi.

We were already party ready in our nice clothes, so there would be no need to change. Our parents took a lot of pictures. Most of mine were with Ikuto, then about a couple each with everyone else. Soon, most of the parents left. Mama, Papa, Aruto, and Souko stayed in the living room, leaving us kids to our own devises. Everyone was talking in my room, spread throughout. Tadase and I were sitting against my bed, Rima and Yaya were in the bean-bag chairs, and Nagi, Kukai, and Kairi were sprawled around the floor. Ikuto was, of course, stretched out on my bed.

"I don't want you guys to leave!" Yaya cried loudly.

"Yaya," I chided half-heartedly with a small laugh.

"Don't worry Yuiki," Tadase said. "We'll still see you."

Yaya pouted. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. I smiled at the scene. It was mostly because of Ikuto that I had made these friends. He had helped me open up more.

That's when I realized Ikuto hadn't said a word since we came to my room. I looked over at him behind me. He was staring at the ceiling with that stupid face again. Sad, regretful, and dreading. What was wrong?

We all drank punch, had snacks, and played games throughout the party, enjoying the time we had together. As the night wore down, my mind kept wandering back to Ikuto's expression.

My friends started to leave, and then, everyone was gone, except Ikuto. I trudged back up to my room, and saw Ikutp on the balcony. He was facing away from me, leaning on the railing. When I slid the door open and joined him, he didn't move his fixed gaze off of the bright moon.

We stood in silence until he asked, "Do you want to go down to the old amusement park?"

"Sure," I said. This would be a good time to give him his graduation gift. I pulled on a black trench coat, and slipped his present into my pocket. We went through the front door, telling our parents that we would be out for a while.

As we walked quietly to the amusement park, I felt Ikuto take my hand. I looked at him questionally, but he didn't look at me, and we arrived at the gates. Instead of turning the breaker on, Ikuto led me straight to a bench in the middle of the park and sat me down on it.

"I have a present for you," he said--still no smile.

"So do I," I said.

We both pulled small boxes out of our jacket pockets and handed them to each other.

I smiled when I pulled a necklace out of the neatly wrapped boxed. It was a small, silver lock, and it was twinkling in the moonlight. It had little diamonds outlining the keyhole, and a small heart on the back. It would match perfectly with the present I got for him. I immediately fastened the necklace around my neck before looking at Ikuto's reaction to his gift.

He pulled the small, silver key out of the box, and held it up. A wide grin (finally) broke over his face and looked at me.

"Thank you," we said at the same time. We laughed softly, and he gave me a quick hug.

"I'm not sure what made me buy it," I said, " but it just wouldn't leave me alone until I did."

He smiled. "Yeah, same with me."

"I wonder what that means..."

"Maybe it means I hold the key to your heart," he said softly.

I blushed a thousand shades of red and looked down. He chuckled, and immediately grew serious. "It'll be something you can remember me by," he whispered.

My head snapped up to see him avoiding my gaze. "What do you mean?" I asked sharply.

He took a deep breath, met my gaze, and said, "I'm leaving."

"W-What do you mean?" I repeated shakily, rising to my feet.

He sighed. "Let's sit down."

I stayed right where I was. "What's going on?"

"I joined the Marines," he stated bluntly.

My eyes widened. He...was joking right?

"R-Really?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. He nodded. "When?" I said, so quiet that I was almost mouthing the word.

"What?" he said.

I cleared my throat, which suddenly seemed so dry, and swallowed. "When?" I said louder.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. Wasn't I the one who should be confused here?

"When did you join?" I said my voice getting a little louder.

He breathed in and said, "I enlisted about seven months ago."

I gasped, and my body felt incredibly heavy, as if I was weighted down by his words. "Seven months?!" I squeaked, and thought how pathetic I sounded, but I didn't care. "You decided this seven months ago, and you didn't tell me?!" I was yelling now. He just stood there, his eyes on the ground. "Why didn't you tell me?!" I closed my eyes and whispered, "Why are you leaving me?"

I waited for an answer, but when I received none, I tried to calm down. I would be okay. We would still have time to spend together before he left. "When are you leaving?" I said as normally as I could.

He finally looked up and said slowly, "I leave for basic training in San Diego tomorrow."

My breath caught in my throat. "Y-You b-bastard!" I choked out, my voice breaking, all sense of calm I had achieved now gone.

"Amu," he said, taking a step toward me. I took a step back. It was then that I realized I was crying. I must've started when he said he when he was leaving and hadn't even noticed it.

"You're just now telling me this?" I said, my mouth pasty. "Why did you wait so long? You tell me last minute?!" I was all out sobbing now, but I could care less. My heart felt broken. I brushed the tears furiously away.

He reached out for me. "Amu, please--"

"No!" I shouted, hitting his hand away. "I-I...leave me alone!" I shouted, throwing the lock necklace at his chest before turning and running.

Stupid heels. I kicked them off, and left them there. I ran, unsure of where I was going. I couldn't see anything through my tears. I kept running, even when my lungs and heart were burning from being so overworked. Thoughts came and went through my head, not really taking on shapes or making any sense.

I finally stopped, and sank to my knees. My weeping faded into sniffles, then nothing at all. All the my face held was a blank, empty expression. I stood weakly, and let my legs carry me home lethargically. Luckily, my family was already asleep when I got there. Otherwise, I would have some explaining to do, which I don't think I'd be able to manage at the moment. I must look tereible. Blotchy face, red, puffy eyes, wild hair, and tear-stained cheeks.

I went straight to my bed, slipping off the trench coat, not even bothering to change out of the silken dress into pajamas. I was so _tired_. I sank into the comfy mattress, and my mind started running.

Why was he leaving? Why didn't he tell me sooner? Why did I care so much? What was I going to do without him? We had _always_ been together. We were best friends!

I heard the balcony door slide open, and I tensed. I shut my eyes even more tightly when he came and knelt by my bed. I heard a metallic tink on my bedside table, but refused to open my eyes. I flinched when Ikuto put his hand lightly on my head and smoothed out my hair.

"I'm so sorry Amu," he murmured.

Two tears slid down my cheeks, and he continued, "My only regret is leaving you behind." More tears cascaded down my face. He stood up, I felt a rush of cool air from the balcony, and he was gone.

I buried my face into my pillow, never opening my tear-encrusted eyes. Maybe this was all a dream, and when I woke up in the morning, it would end up just being a horrifying nightmare.

* * *

**Yes, this chapter was definitely a lot shorter than the first one. This will probably be the length of most of them from now on. I will try to get the next chapter out this weekend. :)**

**~Stray**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews! And for reading! For waiting too…sorry. Our computer was down for awhile.**

* * *

I was lying on my bad, flat on my back, glaring at the ceiling. Somewhere in the night, I had cried myself to sleep. I only got about two hours worth when I woke with a start. I half expected Ikuto to be with me like usual. He wasn't. Feeling this alone filled me with sadness. The fact that he was leaving broke my heart all over again.

I stayed in bed and watched my room change colors as the sun came. First, it was a dull gray color, but then brightened to a yellow, peachy glow. It was going to be a beautiful day. Weather-wise anyway. I sighed and closed my eyes, taking a deep shaky breath and letting it out slowly. I tried to think clearly.

Why would he wait until the last minute to tell me this? That was the question I had been going over in my head again and again. Did he not think that I would be pissed off? And what was his reason? Did he want to get stronger? If he wanted to do that, he could just join a gym nearby. It wouldn't be quite as harsh as basic training, but it was still something.

I sighed, shutting my mind off. It was useless to think about these things now. It was too late, and I was getting nowhere with these thoughts. I sat up, swung my legs over the edge of my bed, and paused for a few minutes. I was still in my dress from last night. I untied it and changed into a black T-shirt and old pair of jeans. I was stepping back towards my bed when I stumbled over something. I glanced down to see my silver heels—the ones I had kicked off when running from Ikuto last night. Then I remembered the metallic thunk on bedside table.

My head whipped to the table, and I frowned. There, sitting next to each other, was lock and key. I walked over, picked both up with my hand, and examined them. I ran my finger over the smooth surface of both. They seemed like they would fit so perfectly. I felt my body stiffen.

So what if he waited so long to tell me? Did that mean I should cut him off from being my friend? It shouldn't. He was my friend. My _best_ friend. Best friends made it through worse things than this. I felt all the anger rush out of me, replaced by anxiety. I couldn't leave things the way they were. I had to let Ikuto know I wasn't mad. I darted out my door and down the stairs, not bothering to answer my parents questions about what I was doing and where I was going. I tore down the street as fast as I could to Ikuto's house, which wasn't far from mine. Once I saw his white house, I picked up my pace even more. I skipped the steps, dashing into the house without knocking.

"Amu?" Souko said from the living room couch. "Are you okay?"

I bent over, panting heavily. "Where's…Ikuto?" I asked between breaths, my heart pounding out of my chest.

She gave me a sympathetic look. "He left. Aruto took him to the airport." I felt my face drain of blood and my heart drop to my stomach. She must have seen the fear evident on my face because she grabbed my hand and said, "Maybe we can still catch him. Come on."

Before Souko's car had even pulled to a stop at Ikuto's airline entrance, I was jumping out of the vehicle. As I got in, I immediately searched for the distinct beacon of blue hair. I saw it, but it was only Aruto. I didn't try to hide my frustration as I called to him. "Aruto!" I exclaimed. He turned and saw me, my hair easily identified.

"Amu! What are you—"

"Where is he?" I said quickly.

Aruto pointed. "He just—"

I didn't wait for the rest. I ran in the direction he pointed, desperately searching for my blue-haired best friend. "Ikuto," I mumbled worriedly.

I pushed through everyone and anyone in my way, ignoring the irritated, annoyed shouts of protest they gave me. I had to find him. I was starting to panic. I couldn't find him. "Ikuto." I was on the verge of tears now. Where was he?!

And then, "Amu?"

I froze mid-stride and turned my head to the right. It was him. He was standing about ten feet away with the most surprised expression I'd ever seen on his face. I just looked into his amethyst eyes, and he looked right back.

The people walking in the space between us—not even realizing the scene that was unfolding right before them—didn't even break our locked gaze. I suddenly thought about how I must look—sweat from running so much and so hard was dripping down my face, my hair was a mess, and I was panting heavily. Then my eyes filled with tears, and ran toward him, bumping into people as I went.

I slammed into his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Idiot," I stated, not letting go. I looked up at him. With that, shocked expression changed to a smile, and he hugged me back. He didn't say anything. He knew without me saying it that I had forgiven him.

We released each other, and I pulled the lock necklace out of my pocket. I put it on before I handed him the key. "Drop this?" I asked.

He smiled with a sad look in his eyes. "I don't deserve to have a best friend like you," he said.

"I know," I said, and he laughed, "but you're stuck with me, so deal with it."

"I think I can handle that," he said, his eyes twinkling.

"So what do we do?" I asked. "Will I get to talk to you?"

His eyes darkened and he shook his head. "No, but we can write letters."

"Okay," I said, disappointed that I wouldn't be able to hear his voice. "How long?"

"Three months."

I sighed.

"Gonna miss me, aren't you?" he teased.

"Yeah right! Stupid cat!" He laughed and I smiled. "M-Maybe just a little. How many times have we been separated since first grade?"

"Never."

"Exactly," I mumbled.

"I'll miss you too, Amu."

I blushed.

"I have to go," he said looking at a nearby clock. I tried to keep the sadness out of my face.

He pulled me into a hug, and I grasped him back tightly. I could feel him breathing in deeply, probably to capture my scent. Stupid pervert.

We pulled back, and he gripped my shoulders. "Tell the Kiddy King he better not hurt you or he'll have a trained marine to deal with when I get back."

I laughed and he brushed his fingers lightly across my cheek before ruffling my hair. "See ya later, Amu," he said huskily.

"Bye, Ikuto," I whispered back.

He gave my hair a tug, and started walking away. I watched him go, trying to hold back my tears. Before he was out of sight, he turned. He caught my eyes, grinned, and waved casually. I smiled, and waved weakly before he disappeared.

I wasn't sure how long I stood there before I felt two pairs of arms around my shoulders. I looked up to see Aruto first, and then Souko.

"Ready to go?" Souko asked me.

I looked back to where Ikuto had disappeared and said, "Yes." We walked back to the parking lot together.

"It's a good thing Ikuto told you to stay behind, Souko," Aruto said. "Otherwise Amu may not have gotten here on time."

"What?" I said in disbelief. "He told you to wait for me?"

"Yes," Souko said. "Seems like he knew exactly what you would do."

"That guy…" I muttered. Of course he did. He was Ikuto.

Souko said, "Do you want to ride home with me or Aruto?"

I thought for a moment, and then said, "Actually, I think I'll walk."

"Are you sure?" Aruto asked.

I nodded in reply.

"Well okay," he said. "Be careful though, and call us once you're home okay?"

"I will." I waved, and started for home. I walked slowly, watching as an airplane flew high above me. Somehow, I had a feeling that it was Ikuto's plane. As soon as it was out of sight, I continued my slow pace, thinking. So Ikuto was leaving for San Diego, California. That was clear across the country, and I wouldn't see him for three whole months. Geez. What would I do with all my time?"

As I was walking down the empty street, I heard a loud racket. I came to an opening in the concrete fence lines, and saw a bunch of boys around my age in some sort of gym. It had a few mats, some punching bags, and some of the boys were sparring each other. There was an older man—he seemed to be in his early forties—who seemed to be the instructor since he was walking around, observing everyone. My brow furrowed. This place didn't really seem like a martial arts place, but it didn't seem like a normal gym either. More like a combination of some sort.

The man looked at me, causing me to jump. I guess what I was doing could be considered annoying and intruding, but I was just curious. He was making his way over to me, and I resisted the urge to walk quickly away.

"Can I help you?" he said, narrowing his eyes. I could already tell he was a stern, serious type of person.

Instead of answering his question, I asked, "What is this place?"

"A place where boys come to get stronger and let their anger out and become disciplined young men," he said, answering my question directly.

"Is it a form of martial arts?"

"A part of it is?"

"What else?"

"Endurance, stamina, physical strength, and calmness of mind."

I had a sudden, impulsive thought. I couldn't be with Ikuto and do what he did, but maybe I could do this and feel closer to him, knowing we'd be going through something similar. "Do you—could I join?!" I asked, leaning toward him a bit.

He rose an eyebrow skeptically and said dubiously, "You? A girl? With all these boys?"

Sexist. I crossed my arms in defiance and snapped, "I can do anything a guy can do, maybe even better."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"Well if that's the case, you wouldn't be treated any different from anyone else. You would be pushed just as hard," he said, trying to talk me out of it.

"Fine by me, I don't need any special treatment. There was my old "cool and spicy" attitude showing. Probably a good thing at the moment, but I had a feeling it would come back to bite me later.

"I don't usually accept people so quickly, but there's something a bit different about you. Your attitude and determination." Yep, it would definitely haunt me later. "I'll take you in, but if you don't work your hardest and to your limit, you're gone."

"Yes sir," I said, standing up straighter. This guy seemed to command respect. I was stunned that I had even asked to join, and even more shocked when he accepted me.

"Since school is out, you will show up here at 8:00 AM sharp Monday through Saturday. You're here until 2:00 PM." Whoa, that long? "Sunday's are yours."

This guy was strict. But I didn't want to back out now. I would do this for Ikuto. It was the least I could do. "Alright," I said firmly.

"Come tomorrow, and don't be late. Be prepared as well."

I nodded. "Thank you."

"You won't be thanking me for long," he said, walking away. Then I realized something.

"What about cost?" I asked.

"Your payment is how hard you work and your results. I'm just here to help you along."

"So…no money?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

I didn't say anything as he went back into the gym. So it was..free. Wow.

I headed home even more slowly than before. I figured Souko had called my parents so they wouldn't worry. It was late morning now, and I was hungry since I hadn't eaten any breakfast. I eventually got home and went immediately for the kitchen.

"Amu," my mom said, walking into the kitchen, "did you find Ikuto?"

"Yes, I got to say goodbye."

"Good. I know you'll be lonely here without him, but it'll give you more time to spend with your other friends and Tadase."

"Yeah," I said, still a bit distracted. "Mama?"

"Hm?"

"On my way home, I joined this gym. They want me there from 8:00 to 2:00."

"You're not going to spend time with your friends?"

"I can still do that afterward."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Well, okay Amu, if you want to."

"I do. Thank you."

I made a sandwich, grabbed an apple, and headed to my room. Souko called me later to tell me the place I could address my letters to Ikuto. I wrote it neatly on a small piece of paper, and taped it to my desk.

Some of my friends texted me later to ask if what they'd heard about Ikuto was true. I confirmed that it was.

By the time I was on my way to bed, I was pretty nervous about tomorrow. I was also excited, but more anxious. And I was already starting to miss Ikuto. I could tell tomorrow would be a long day.

* * *

**So…how was it? **

**~Stray**


	4. Chapter 4

**So I planned to get this out way earlier, but things happened and it took me forever to get it done. I'll try to update a couple more times this week before I leave for a week-long trip with no computer access. I'm going to miss the dear Internet…**

* * *

I collapsed against the wall, slid down it to sit, and gripped my water bottle, breathing heavily. It was finally break time. We had from 10:45 to 11:15 to eat, get a breather, and whatever else we needed to do. I was utterly exhausted, and we were only halfway through.

To start, we had to run two miles at a brisk jog for a _warm-up. _A freaking warm-up! After that, we went right into sit-ups and other ab work-outs. I lost count after two hundred. Then, it got worse.

Push-ups.

Did I mention I have no arm strength to speak of? Then, we started on our fighting technique. Since I had never taken any martial arts classes, it had been rather difficult for me, although I tried to watch carefully to pick it up quickly.

I think I'm going to die, but still, I keep going. I must be a masochist, but I know that what Ikuto's doing right now is probably a lot harder. Every time I felt like I was going to pass out or quit, I'd remind myself of that. It was my drive.

The man I met yesterday, Suzaku Black—I secretly call him Sensei—who runs the place, stayed true to his promise. I received no mercy. I ate my lunch quickly, hoping it would settle a little before we jumped into whatever crazy thing was next.

When I first got here, I felt very self-conscience. Being the only girl, I had gotten more than one or two weird, doubtful, or sometimes even amused looks from the other guys. I shook them off, and focused on what I came here to do, though some of the guys enjoyed pushing me around, which really ticked me off. So I did what any other pissed off person would do: I pushed them back, but they didn't have the guts to pick a fight with a girl.

When the time was up, Sensei called us to get into groups of three. I, of course, was not asked or welcomed to join a group, so I forced my way into the only group that had two people left. They didn't look particularly pleased.

Sensei passed out these sparring gloves to everyone, and as he came to our group, one of my partners said, "I don't know if we should do this with a girl, sir. She can't hit hard, and I don't want to hit her."

Sensei replied, "You don't know how hard she can hit, and she's to be treated just like everyone else."

The boy looked doubtful, and I glared at him. Sensei told us to start, and I watched what the other groups were doing. It seemed like two guys were punching one guy in the stomach, chest, and back. The one getting hit just stood there with his fists in front of his face to protect it, muscles tensed, and just took the beating. Okay? I joined my partner in punching our other teammate as hard as I could. Well, maybe not quite that hard. I may be a girl, but I can still hit pretty hard. The boys swapped after a while, and we did the same thing. Then, it was my turn.

Oh god.

The first hit knocked the wind out of me, but I soon figured out that if I tensed my muscles it wouldn't hurt as much. Not that it didn't, because I still let out a little gasp or grunt of pain every other hit, but it certainly helped when my muscles were expecting it.. Everyone else was too though, so I didn't feel like such a baby. I winced when they stopped, and let out a breath. I was going to have bruises on my bruises tomorrow. I was wondering how this was supposed to help anything, when a guy next to me offered, "It helps build pain tolerance."

"Well I guess this is one way to do it," I said with a grimace.

He smiled. A nice person at last! "A word of advice," he said. "Here, you have to earn respect. It takes time, but I think you can do it. It's already surprising that Black took you in. I mean, no offense, but the work we do is a little hard on a girl."

"I can do whatever I want," I said sternly.

"Good," he said. "You're going to need that attitude."

"Right," I muttered. "I'll keep that in mind."

We worked on some more techniques for a time, me, wincing a lot, and some more sit-ups and push-ups.

"Alright!" Sensei called. "Let's head out to the lake."

"The lake?" I said, half in confusion and half in fear.

"You'll see," a boy said.

We ran about a mile to the lake on the outside of our city, since we weren't very far from the outskirts, and stopped at the edge. Sensei led the way into the water, and the boys followed suit. They shed their shirts if they weren't already off, removed their shoes, and swam behind Sensei.

"Great," I muttered, kicking off my shoes and dashing after them. I was keeping up as best as I could, but it was hard considering I was always so tired. After the swim was finally over, I crawled onto the beach, exhausted and spent, and I saw everyone already running back. "Shit!" I pulled on my shoes, and sprinted toward them, sopping wet. I slowed to a jog after awhile, keeping them in sight.

I ran into the gym, about to fall over. I heard one of the guys mumble, "I'm surprised she made it back."

Tch. Idiots. They were all taking a short break, so I took a few sips from my water bottle. Just give me a bicycle and we'll make it a triathlon! I rolled my eyes and felt someone else's on me. I looked up to meet Sensei's gaze. He looked away and went to put some equipment up.

Raising an eyebrow at this, I glanced at the clock on the wall, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was 2:45. That was a long swim.

"Cool down," Sensei said.

One of the rules was that we all stretched together, so we did. When we were done, I couldn't be happier. We helped put everything away and get things cleaned up, and everyone slowly dispersed. Most of the guys were walking together, talking about a café they were going to go to. I suddenly realized that everyone here was kind of like family. This made me feel even more alone than I already was. I was a complete outsider. But still, I knew I had to keep pushing myself.

I slung my bag over my shoulder, and headed for home. My clothes were still damp, I was wobbly, on the verge of passing out, and my hair was everywhere. I must look terrible, but I really didn't care at this point.

"Amu Hinamori."

I turned at the sound of my name, and saw Sensei. "Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked.

My face hardened in determination. "Of course, sir."

He nodded, and left. I watched him go, wondering how someone could be so cold. I'd seen everyone else here smile, with him being the only exception. Or myself. Ha-ha…

"He's not so bad," the boy from earlier said as he was passing me. "You just have to crack his hard shell, and he's actually a great guy."

A shell, huh? In some weird way, I felt like I could fit in here one day soon.

"I'm Kaoru Yukimura," he said, holding out his hand for me to shake.

"Amu Hinamori," I replied, shaking his hand warily.

"Well, Amu," he said, "you made it through the first day, and that's something to be proud of. You have some try in you."

"I guess so," I said coolly. Old habits die hard. "See you tomorrow." I walked off, hearing a "bye" from Kaoru.

When I got home, I took one look at the stairs, and groaned. I was so sore and tired, and my whole entire body ached. I trudged slowly up the stairs, and fell onto my beanbags. I couldn't even make it to my bed. I had a date with Tadase tonight at 6:00, so I should probably shower and get ready. Ah well, maybe just a little nap….

* * *

I was woken by the sound of the doorbell. I figured Mama or Papa would get it. Wait. They didn't get home until 7:00, and Ami was at a friend's house. I looked at the clock on my bedside table. 6:01. Oh crap! My date! I quickly jumped up and instantly regretted it when I got a head rush. My body practically creaked in soreness. I moaned, and made my way sluggishly down the stairs. The doorbell rang again just as I was about to open the door.

"Oh," Tadase said.

Uh-oh. I probably looked awful.

"Are you okay, Amu?" Tadase asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Tadase. I was only going to take a short nap, but I guess it turned out to be a bit longer. Just let me go get ready really fast. Come on in." I turned to go back up the dreaded stairs.

"Uh, Amu?"

"Hm?"

He gave me a sympathetic smile and said, " Maybe that's not the best idea. You look worn out. What happened?"

I thought for a moment, and then said, "Come sit down. I'll tell you."

* * *

I waved goodbye to Tadase from the doorway, trying not to wince at the pain in my arm. I then went upstairs to take a hot, soothing shower. I had told Tadase about joining the gym, and my reason for doing so. He didn't like that I was working myself sick, but he left so I could get my rest. I was lucky to have such a good boyfriend, and I was disappointed in myself for letting him down, but I needed to do this.

I let the hot water run over my stiff body for a long time, enjoying the feeling. With my body exposed, I could now see all the now-formed, blue and purple bruises from the pain tolerance exercise. I shut off the water, and I felt a lot better. I heard some noises downstairs, and figured my parents and Ami were back. I pulled on my most comfortable pajamas, and slid into the welcoming softness of my bed.

Then, my mom stepped in. "Amu, weren't you going on a date with Tadase tonight?"

I moaned, "I'm tired."

"Going to bed early then?"

"Yes," I muttered, too lazy to give a sarcastic reply about how I was already in bed.

She nodded, and shut the door gently behind her.

I lied there, thinking about Ikuto. Was he going through something similar to this? I'd have to ask him. I couldn't wait until we started writing back and forth.

Then I felt a pang of guilt. Tadase was my boyfriend, and I wasn't treating him well. In fact, I wondered why he still put up with me. I smiled. He's too nice for his own good. I sighed. It was so confusing to have a boyfriend and a best friend who happens to be a boy as well. I couldn't think about it now though, I was too tired. I set my alarm for 7:00 AM, knowing I'd probably need the extra time in order to pull myself out of bed. I fell asleep, wondering about tomorrow.

* * *

I was right. Once I opened my eyes in the morning, I wished I hadn't. I was beyond sore. I tried to out of my bed, but couldn't. It took me twenty minutes to pull myself away and get some breakfast. I figured a banana and a piece of toast with peanut butter would do me some good. After that, I stumbled back up the stairs to get dressed, and walked out the door. As I walked, my legs started loosening up a bit. When I made it to the gym, I got a lot of shocked looks. I guess the boys were surprised that I had shown up for more. I put on a fiery, determined face, and headed in, noting the nod from Sensei.

* * *

Oh. My. Goodness," I said, sprawling onto my bed. This is where I was, seven torturous hours later. I had done a little better this time around since I knew what to expect, but my aching body still wasn't used to it. But now, I had bruises on my bruises that had bruises, and I was sore in places I never knew could be sore.

Rima was sitting on one of my bean bags, looking at me with a bored expression.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

I had explained to her what I was doing, but not the reason. "Well—"

"Is it because of Ikuto?" she said, cutting me off.

"H-How did you know?" I stammered.

"Well it's a bit obvious," she said, rolling her eyes. "The day after he leaves for basic training, you start a little boot camp of your own.

"It's not a boot camp," I said, trying to defend myself.

"Close enough. You know, I don't see why you just don't date him. You'd both do anything for each other."

"R-Rima! Don't say things like that! I have Tadase."

"Who do love more?" she asked. "Ikuto or Tadase?"

I didn't say anything.

"There's your answer.

"It's a completely different kind of love," I said.

"You're right," she said, and I smiled in triumph. "I'd say you love Tadase as a friend, and Ikuto as more."

"W-What?" I spluttered. "Y-You're w-wrong."

"Your stuttering says otherwise," she pointed out.

"Subject's over," I said in hopes that she's drop it.

"Fine, but it's only a matter of time."

I was thankful that that was over, but, deep down, I think she was right. I just didn't want to admit it to myself. Rima and I continued to chat, and she gave me some tips on how to handle my sore body. Even with the tips, I couldn't be more glad that tomorrow was Sunday.

The boys had still given me a hard time today, but I wouldn't let them get to me. Not ever. I wasn't there for them.

Souko had told me to expect a letter tomorrow. A letter from Ikuto. I was so excited. They had said we'd probably be able to write about once a week. I missed him terribly but, thanks to the gym, I wasn't moping around.

I sighed and closed my eyes. I thought about Iktuo, and what he would say in his letter, and smiled.

* * *

**So I think this chapter was a total fail. It seemed to drag to me. Did it seem to drag to you? Hmm…anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing. :) **

**~Stray**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm back, and hoping to finally get the chapters going! This chapter is a time sequence through the three months that Ikuto will be gone, and events in the story will happen while a letter is going. It's hard to explain… You'll be able to tell the date by the weeks/months on the Ikuto's letters. You'll see what I mean. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. :) You guys are awesome. It really helps motivate me.**

**

* * *

**

Normal

_Letters_

_

* * *

_

The next morning, I hurried—albeit tenderly due to my soreness—to Ikuto's house where the letters would be mailed to. Without knocking, I bolted through the door and into the kitchen where I figured Souko and Aruto would be. They were, and Aruto was holding a big, envelope.

"Hey," I managed, out of breath.

"A little eager, Amu?" Aruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," I defended before adding quickly, "Do I have a letter?"

"Of course," he said with a chuckle. "Here you go." Reaching into the envelope, he pulled out a smaller one. I took it gingerly and held it for a moment. I looked at the elegant hand-writing on the back of the envelope and the one word written there—Amu. I smiled, and hurriedly flipped open the flap of to pull out the letter. My eyes scanned the words a couple times before I read it. It said:

_Month 1, Week 1_

_Amu,_

_California is beautiful, but I like home better. It feels suddenly lonely here without you constantly yelling my ear off. The drill sergeant seems particularly friendly. He's always chewing us out with a colorful stream of curses. I think he's intent on killing me—must be jealous of my sexiness, huh? I missed movie night and Friday for the first time on four years. I'm sorry about that. I imagined us watching _The Lion King _together since I know it's your favorite. Maybe we can come up with an alternative during that time. I'll let you think of something. Well, that about sums it up for now, so tell me what's going on with you, 'kay? Everything. I miss you. Try not to miss me too much._

_Ikuto_

I smiled throughout the whole letter, and even blushed a couple times, even though he wasn't physically here, teasing me. I looked up at his parents and said, "Thank you." They nodded, and I left, looking down at the letter as I walked. As soon as I got to my room, I immediately sat at my desk to reply. I wrote:

_Ikuto,_

_Even though it's only been a few days, I already feel sort of lonely. Your drill sergeant sounds very nice. Although, if he's trying to kill you, I don't think it's because he's jealous of your "sexiness." It's probably from you annoying cat ways. And about movie night—maybe we could just do what we did. I imagined us watching a movie, too. Anyway, the day you left, I joined a gym on an impulse. If you can call it a gym… It's pretty hardcore, and I'm the most sore I have ever been in my whole life. Not that I'm complaining. I hope they don't work you too hard. _

_Amu_

_

* * *

_

I sprinted onward, panting hard. It was Thursday, and it seemed like this work-out never got any easier. I was no longer so far behind anymore though. I was running at the very tail-end of the pack, maybe just a little further than that, but I was keeping up. Right now, we were sprint-jogging. We'd jog, then sprint for a certain amount of time before jogging some more. My muscles were sore, but I learned to ignore and welcome it. I always had Ikuto's letter to look forward too.

_Month 1, Week 2_

_Amu, _

_The training here is rigorous and merciless. The heat is intense, and the sun is relentless. I've made a couple of friends—Yoru and Kiseki. Although, Kiseki can be a bit much sometimes. He seems bent on world domination, always proclaiming himself as a king and us as his peasants. I don't know how the drill sergeants haven't kicked him out yet. Yoru and I get along really well. I know you'd like him a lot. So tell me about this "gym" you've joined. Every little detail. How are they treating you? Who's all in it? What kind of work do they do? Sorry if I sound like an overprotective mother. On movie night, I did what you said, even though it wasn't quite the same. I felt better knowing you were doing the same thing. I miss you. Give my regards to the Kiddy King._

_Ikuto_

_

* * *

_

_Ikuto,_

"Let's go Hinamori! Pick up the pace!" Sensei called.

I grit my teeth, and pushed my speed. We were on our three-mile run, and I slowly began adjusting. I was now keeping up with the middle of the pack. It's been a month since I joined this place. My whole body was already transformed into lean muscle. I always looked forward to Ikuto's letters when they came on Sundays. I was also slowly gaining the boy's trust and respect.

_The guys aren't being as hard on me anymore. Sensei is indifferent as always, but every once in a while I'll see him watching us closely—especially me—as if he's looking for something._

"Deeper Hinamori!" Sensei yelled. I went down as far as I could on my push-up and came back up. How many was that?

_I'm not sure what he's searching for, but I do know that I'm getting stronger. You'd be proud of me._

"Nice job today, little girl."

I looked up in shock at one of the boys who was particularly rude to me. Did he just…? No way.

"T-Thanks," I mumbled, deciding to ignore the insult of being called a little girl. "You too."

He nodded, and left. Well, at least I was getting there.

* * *

_Month 2, Week 2_

_Amu,_

_One, I'm happy to hear you're giving those idiots a taste of your strength. I know I wouldn't want to mess with you. I think you'll find out what your Sensei's looking for soon. You have a huge effect on people—I would know. Two, I've always been proud of you, and that won't change.

* * *

_

"Amu?"

My head snapped back to the person sitting across from me. "Hm? Oh, what is it Tadase?" We were on a dinner date, and I may have been spacing out a little.

He sighed, and gave me a sad smile. "You really love him, don't you?"

I was confused. "Who?"

"Ikuto."

"T-Tadase! No! I—"

"It's alright. Even if you don't think you do, I can tell," he said.

I didn't respond. I was too stunned.

"Amu, you are so dedicated and attached to him, that you would put yourself through hell just to _feel _closer to him. And I know he's just as dedicated to you."

"Tadase…"

Without realizing it, I reached up to feel the lock necklace Ikuto gave me.

"A part of me wishes that it was me you loved like that, but I know that'll never happen. Amu, I'm sorry, but I can't watch you put yourself through so much for someone else while I'm sitting on the sidelines."

"I-I…" I didn't know what to say. Is that really how he felt? I guess I had been neglecting him lately in favor of the gym.

"I-I'm sorry," I mumbled, still shocked.

"Don't be," he said kindly, standing up. "Goodbye, Amu." He kissed my forehead, and left me sitting alone.

* * *

_Dear Ikuto,_

_Two months down, one month to go, and then you'll be home. I'm so excited. The guys actually seem to accept me now. They joke around and tease me. I'm like part of the family. Finally. My persistence paid off. But, Sensei is still a bit of a mystery…_

I lengthened my stroke, and dug into the cool water. I was ahead of everyone else, except for Sensei. We reached the beach, and Sensei looked surprised, but pleased to see me get out just after him. Surprised? That was new. I smirked when I started running back to the gym after putting my shoes on.

* * *

_Dear Amu,_

_I'm so glad those guys are finally being nice to you, though, I should take them town for being mean in the first place. As for Sensei…all mysteries are solved most of the time, eventually, right? Here, the work has gotten a little easier as my body gets stronger, and sometimes, I even enjoy myself. We're mostly learning emergency medical procedures now. CPR and all that. Still, I can't wait to be home to see everyone._

* * *

I pushed my legs as fast as they would go. Again, everyone besides Sensei was behind me, and I was close at his heels. I dug the balls of my feet into the ground and pushed harder. I grinned as I felt the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I flew by Sensei, letting out a small laugh of exhilaration. When we got back to the gym—me, in first place—I collapsed on my back with a wide smile. Sensei sat next to me, and we waited for the others to get back.

"I don't understand," Sensei started, "what drives you so hard?"

I laughed lightly, and stood up as the others filtered in. I held out my hand to help Sensei up. "Don't we have some more work to do?" I asked with a smile.

He smiled ever so slightly, and took my hand. It could hardly be called a smile, but it was the biggest hint of a smile I'd ever seen him give.

* * *

_Dear Ikuto,_

_Sensei smiled. He actually smiled. I beat him in sprints, and then he smiled. I was thoroughly amazed. Anyway, I know I say this every time, but I like to remind you. I miss you. Just three more weeks, and you'll be home. Though, I don't think I need to remind you of that._

After our work-out today, I was packing my bag. A lot of guys were talking to each other, and joking around. I still felt a little foreign here. I guess it came from being the only girl. As I was about to leave, one of them—Kaoru, as I remembered him being the first kind person here to me—called to me.

"Amu!" I turned to look at them. "We're going to the little café over by the grocery store. Do you want to come?" I was stunned. They…invited me? They never invited me.

I snapped out of my train of thought, shrugged nonchalantly, and said, "Sure, I guess so."

They suddenly surrounded me, and one of them slapped me on the shoulder lightly. We laughed, joking around. Before the gym was out of sight, I turned my head to look at it. I saw Sensei there, smiling at me. I blinked, and stood there for a moment, before grinning back.

I reached up to touch the lock around my neck.

I was finally one of them. I finally belonged here.

* * *

_Dear Amu,_

_This is the last letter I'll be writing to you, because I'll be seeing you in one week. I've missed you so much. It's tough separating best friends for so long, so abruptly, huh? But I think it was a good experience for both of us. We both got stronger because of it, and we can't always depend on each other for everything. I'll be seeing you…_

I walked to the gym happily. Tomorrow, Ikuto would be coming home. Aruto and Souko had gone to California to see him graduate from basic training. I was ecstatic.

"You seem excited," Sensei said as I walked into the gym.

"I am," I said with a big smile. Over the weeks, I slowly had slowly begun to understand Sensei, and now considered him my friend.

"Why's that?"

I decided to go ahead and tell him. "My best friend comes home tomorrow. He's been in boot camp for the Marines for three months."

"I see. He's your strength. I can tell."

I looked up in shock. How could he tell that quickly? "Yeah," I said quietly, "I guess he is. You know, the first day I came across this place, was the day he left."

"You must have a strong bond."

I nodded. "Yep! We've been best friends since first grade."

"It must've been hard for you two for him to be gone so long," Sensei added thoughtfully.

"It was, but since I had this, it wasn't nearly as bad as it would've been. We were able to write back and forth, though."

"I see, you should bring him here when he gets back."

I looked up in surprise. "Really?"

He nodded. "I'm sure he'd like to see how hard you work, and meet all your brothers. I'm sure they'll want to meet him, too."

"Thanks," I said, knowing how rare it was for him to allow strangers.

So, you comin' to the café?" Kaoru asked me after our work-out that day.

I shook my head. "I have some things to do at home," I said. I wanted to get ready for Ikuto's return tomorrow.

"Okay, see you Monday then," he said.

I waved at everyone as they left. It was funny, but it was just as Sensei said. Over the last three months, everyone here had become my family, my brothers. I smiled at the thought.

I looked over at Sensei as a sudden question came to my mind. "Sensei?"

"Hm?" he replied. He had gotten used to me calling him Sensei.

"Why did you let me join this place, anyway?"

"I already told you. You seem different," he answered.

"I don't think that's all," I said skeptically.

"You really want to know?" he said, setting down what he was doing, and looked at me. I nodded. His eyes visibly darkened.

"You remind me of my daughter," he said quietly.

"You have a daughter?" I asked, surprised. He hesitated, before nodding. I could tell he wanted to drop the subject, so I just said, "Oh," and dropped it. Maybe one day Sensei would tell me the whole story. But until then, I had tomorrow to look forward to.

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**You'll have to let me know how that went...I'm unsure. Was it confusing at all? Anyway, Ikuto comes back next chapter! Yay!**

**~Stray**


	6. Chapter 6

**Next chapter! Yay! Yes, this is the chapter where Ikuto returns. Also, for reference, I kind of imagined this taking place somewhere on the east coast. But you can think of whatever place you think fits. Enjoy. :)**

* * *

Today was the day. Sunday. The day Ikuto would come home. I was waiting at the airport to pick up Ikuto, Souko, and Aruto. I was practically bouncing with anticipation.

This morning I had gotten up extra early since I could no longer sleep. I had my lock necklace on so that it was visible for the whole world to see. I reached up to touch it tenderly—as I so often did—fingering the keyhole. The holder of the key to this lock would be here any minute now.

I waited impatiently for Ikuto's plane to arrive, tapping my foot irritably. "Come on," I urged, begging it to come faster. After another five minutes, there it was. Flight 289 from Chicago just landed. Chicago had been their connecting flight. Alright, I thought. Just a few more minutes, probably a little less than twenty. I switched my weight from one foot to another in a quick, hoppy manner, unable to stand still. These were the longest twenty minutes of my life!

To try and calm myself down, I thought about what Ikuto must be doing. I imagined him standing to grab a bag in the overhead compartment after the pilot gave the okay. I thought of him walking down the skinny aisle of the airplane with his parents, and then walking through the long tunnel that connected the plane to the building, looking at the silly phone network and business advertisements that lined the colorful walls. In my mind, I watched him step out of the gate, and into the waiting area. I imagined him glancing at all the haggard-looking travelers sitting in the cushioned chairs, trying to control their hyper children. He walked down the long terminal's hallway—his parents behind him on either side—his footsteps maybe quickening to see me sooner? I hope so. Any second now he would turn the corner, and I would see him. I leaned forward eagerly.

"Excuse me," someone said, making me jump. I turned my head to see a middle-aged woman with short, black hair and a very flamboyant outfit that nearly blinded me.

"Yes?" I nearly growled, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"I've never been to this airport," she explained. "Could you please direct me to the restroom?"

I just stared at her for a moment. Do I look like someone who works here? And besides, there's bathrooms everywhere! They weren't very hard to find. Just follow the damn signs.

I pointed to my left, not able to keep some of the glare off of face. "Right there," I said, monotonously.

"Thanks!" she said happily, unaffected by my rudeness. I watched her scuttle over to the restroom that wasn't thirty feet away with a look of undisguised disbelief on my face. Was she deliberately trying to piss me off? She interrupted my search for my best friend. Oh! Ikuto! I shook my head to clear it, and whipped it toward where he would be exiting.

I glanced around anxiously, searching for that spot of midnight blue among the crowd. My eyes suddenly stopped, and my heart skipped a beat. There he was, standing still halfway between me and the terminal's hallway. He was looking directly at me with and amused smile. And holy hell, he looked absolutely amazing in his uniform. I took in the navy blue suit with red accents and gold buttons. I snapped out of it, and realized my jaw was dropped. He must've seen it, because his amused expression only grew until it was that stupid smirk that I was oh so familiar with. I clamped it shut with a glare, and realized something else. He was back.

I was finally able to move my feet. I ran straight toward him, ignoring the weird looks people were casting in my direction. He grinned, and just before I ran into him, he dropped his bag to catch me.

He barely had his arms open before I slammed into him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He took a step back from the force of my hug, and wound his arms around my shoulders and back, laying his head on mine. We stood there for a while, best friends finally reunited. I pulled back to look at his face. Our eyes met, and we looked at each other with small smiles. He had changed. There was something different in his eyes. They were darker, and more mature somehow, but still the same. I knew he could probably see the same in my eyes.

"Hey," he said quietly, resting his forehead against mine.

"Hey," I said, laughing.

I heard Aruto clear his throat, and I realized the way our heads were positioned right now was a bit intimate. When did that happen? I quickly pulled back, blushing, and said, "W-We should g-go get the rest of your s-stuff at the baggage claim." Stupid stuttering. Ikuto smirked.

"We'll get the luggage, Amu," Souko said. "You and Ikuto go ahead to the car. Pick us up at the baggage claim entrance, would you?"

I nodded, and they left.

Ikuto slung his bag over his shoulder, and grabbed my hand. My face burned at the contact, and I quickly pulled him outside, walking slightly ahead of him so he couldn't see my face. We walked to my car silently, and Ikuto through his bag in the trunk. He slid in next to me in the passenger's seat, and I drove to the place Souko and Aruto would be exiting. Then I realized Ikuto had been strangely quiet the whole time, only saying one word since he arrived. I looked over at him curiously. He was looking out the windshield with a small, serene smile. Almost as if he felt my questioning gaze, he looked at me.

I smiled, and said, "I'm glad you're back."

"It's good to be back," he said, then a teasing glint appeared in his sapphire eyes. "And it's good to first see you harassing people right off the bat. That poor, brightly-dressed lady."

"H-Hey now," I protested, "she was the one bothering me. There were restrooms everywhere, she didn't have to ask me."

He chuckled. "I missed you, Amu."

"I missed you, too," I muttered.

I saw something flit across his face, and suddenly, he was leaning toward me. I froze, unable to even think. His face was just inches from mine, when he smiled somewhat sadly, and pulled back, avoiding my gaze. What… just happened? Souko and Aruto soon hopped in the back, breaking the awkward stillness that had descended upon Ikuto and I.

My mind was whirring. Ikuto wasn't about to kiss me, was he? No, he only thought of us as best friends. Wait. _He_. Why had I thought he and not we? Does that mean I see him as more? I shook my head. I did not want to think about this right now.

"Amu?" Ikuto said. My emotions must've been flying across my face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm great!" I replied way too quickly and overly cheerful. He gave me a confused look, but turned back to the window. My heart was pounding. I didn't think he would let that go so easily. He would probably ask me about it later… joy.

Aruto and Souko made small talk while we drove to Ikuto's house. Later tonight, there was going to be a party to celebrate Ikuto's return home. Just our two families.

Once we were at Ikuto's house, I helped everyone carry their bags in. Then, Ikuto and I went up to his room. He immediately dropped his bag, and flopped onto his bed. He sighed, and said, "Home, sweet home."

I smiled from where I was, leaning against the doorjamb. Then, I furrowed my brow. "Ikuto?"

"Hm?"

"How long do you get to stay?"

I saw him tense, and he hesitated before answering, "Two weeks."

"That's all?" I asked, appalled. He nodded slowly, and I sighed. "When's the next time you'll be back?"

He sighed, and rolled over so his back was facing me. "I'll go to school to train to be a weapon's specialist first, in California. I'll be done with that in March. That's when I'll come back. At spring break."

I completely ceased moving. I wasn't even breathing. Six months? Twice the amount of time that he had been gone? I could feel the tears coming. I didn't want to cry. He doesn't need to see that. I'm glad he couldn't see my face right now. I had to get out of here.

"Amu?" he said, still facing away.

"I just remembered," I said, forcing my voice to be happy and light, "I need to help my mom with some things for the party." I took a step backward. He was starting to turn around. "I'll see you tonight!" I called over my shoulder, and then I bolted.

"Amu!" he called. I didn't stop. I ran down the stairs, and into the hot, summer sunlight. I was running again, I realized. Still running. Always running. Why was I always running from him?

When I finally stopped, I found myself in the park close to my house. Dinner would be in about an hour, so I had time to gather my thoughts and pull it together. I sat down on a nearby bench, hardly out of breath. I took a shaky breath, and closed my eyes, listening to the everyday, early evening sounds around me.

"Hinamori?"

I looked up. "Kukai," I said, somewhat surprised to see him. He was panting and wearing athletic shorts and running shoes, so I assumed he was out for one of his jogs.

"Why the long face?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be with Ikuto right now?"

I looked down at my lap, and Kukai sat next to me.

"What happened?" he asked.

I sighed, and decided to tell him. He was my "big brother" after all.

"Well, you see, he only gets to stay for t-two weeks, and he won't be back until spring break. I was at his house when he told me, and I guess I couldn't really handle it, so I ran here. I mean, that's more than twice as long as he was gone this time!" I ended, throwing my arms up helplessly in the air.

"Hmm," Kukai said, thinking. "He probably feels the same way as you do. I know he'll miss you as much as you'll miss him. And it can't be easy for him being away from everyone he cares about for so long. But, you know what I think?"

I shook my head. "What?"

"I think you should make the most of your time together while he's here. Don't worry about him being gone until he is. Okay?"

I blinked, and realized he was right. Leave it to Kukai to point out the obvious so quickly. "Thanks Kukai," I said, giving him a hug.

"No worries, Hinamori. Now I hate to cut our talk short, but I'm going to get back to my run. You need to go see him, anyway." He gave me a thumbs up, as he started jogging away.

"I'll see you soon, Kukai, okay?" I called after him. He waved in acknowledgement, and I smiled as I headed for home. When I ran through the door, the Tsukiyomi's were already there, in the living room. Ami was latched onto Ikuto, and he was patting her head gently. They all turned to me when I walked in. Ikuto looked at me warily, weighing my expression. I gave a reassuring smile.

"Hey!" I said cheerfully.

"Hey, Amu," Mama said, "why don't you and Ikuto go on up to you room and talk for a bit while we get supper ready? We'll call you down when it is."

"I wanna go with Big Brother and Big Sister!" Ami exclaimed.

"Why don't you stay here with us, Ami?" Mama said. "I could use your help in the kitchen."

Ami looked sullen for a moment before exclaiming, "Okay!" She sure was easy to placate.

"Go ahead you two," Mama said with a knowing look in her eye. I think she knew we had something to talk over.

Ikuto and I went up to my room, and I left the door open a little, so we could hear when my mom called up to us. "S-Sorry I ran out on you earlier," I apologized.

"It's not your fault," he said softly. "I kind of just threw it out at you suddenly."

"Yeah," I said with a nervous laugh. "You keep giving me surprises in that way."

"I know. I'm sorry," he said with a sad smile.

I shook my head. "No, let's just make the most of the time together, okay?"

He smiled, and nodded. We sat on my bed, just talking about pointless things. We told each other stories, and caught up on everything.

"So how's Kiddy King?" Ikuto asked.

Whoops. I forgot I didn't tell him. "Oh, uh, we broke up," I said nonchalantly.

His head snapped up. "What? When?"

"Um, about a month or so after you left," I muttered, avoiding his gaze.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

I didn't see why he was so upset about this. But, had a good point. Why didn't I tell him? "I-It didn't seem t-that important."

"Not important?"

"No! It wasn't! I just realized I never really had any feelings for him other than a small crush..." I trailed off.

"Amu," he growled.

"S-Sorry," I mumbled. He pulled me into a hug, laughing lightly. He switches moods fast...

"You idiot," he whispered into my hair, smiling.

I smiled, and for some reason, my heart was soaring.

* * *

**Finally, I know. I'm a terrible updater. Sorry 'bout that. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out faster. Thanks for reading!**

**~Stray**


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, it certainly has been a while, hasn't it? Kind of disappeared off the fanfiction map there...what can I say? Life get's to ya, especially this past year. Busiest. Year. Ever. But it's also been one of the best. I can't believe it's almost been a year since I updated. :/ And I intended to finish this in a timely fashion. Huff. Ah well, I'm finishing it now, and I can guarantee you 100% that the next chapter will not take as long as this one.**

* * *

"Supper!" my mom called up the stairs.

Ikuto released me before I was ready for him to let go, and we went downstairs for our meal. The food on the menu tonight was grilled steak, baked potatoes, and cream of corn. For dessert we were having a lovely strawberry delight. It had crushed pretzels on the bottom, whipped cream in the middle, and red jello with strawberries in it on top. Delicious.

"Oh gosh," Ikuto said. "Real food."

I giggled and we sat around the dinner table to eat. Over supper, we talked mostly about the things Ikuto had been doing in basic training. I was surprised that the physical training part was quite similar to mine, but his seemed a little more higher impact. And of course, my mother decided to embarrass me.

"You should've seen Amu," she said excitedly. "She was really dedicated. When Ikuto said in a letter that he could only take five-minute showers, so did she."

"Mama," I warned. Ikuto looked surprised.

"Is that true?" he asked. I hesitated a moment before nodding. "Amu, you didn't have to do that."

"I know," I said, my corn suddenly looking very interesting. "But I wanted to." I looked up to find an unreadable expression on his face. I tried to read his eyes, but he looked away. But I could've sworn I saw a tinge of pink on his cheeks. No one else seemed to see it, and I wondered why he would be blushing.

To add fuel to the fire, Mama added with a wink at me, "She also went on a special military diet...to an extent. I think she wanted to feel closer to Ikuto."

"Okay!" I said loudly, clapping my hands together once. "Who wants dessert?" I snuck a quick peek at Ikuto to see him looking at the rest of his food. Only I could see his face since I was sitting right next to him. His hair was providing a shadow from everyone else. His expression was a mixture of shock and...something else. I couldn't tell. It was something I'd never seen on his face before.

As we ate our dessert, the adults and Ami talked, but Ikuto and I were quiet. We only spoke if we were asked a direct question. When supper was over I was immensely relieved. I was helping Mama with dishes while everyone else was in the living room.

"Amu?" my mom began.

"Hm?" I said, putting a plate in the drainer.

"What are your feelings for Ikuto?"

I dropped the glass I was holding and fumbled with it until I had securely in my hands. "He's my best friend," I tried to say, but it came out a bit squeakier than normal.

"I know that, but what are your feelings?"

"I love him as my best friend." I replied stubbornly.

"Anything else?"

I didn't answer for a moment. "I don't know," I finally said.

"You're in love with him. I can tell."

First Rima, then Tadase, and now my mother. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" I muttered.

"What's that?" Mama said.

"Nothing," I sighed.

When we were done, everyone talked in the living room for awhile. Ikuto seemed back to his normal self.

"Hey, Amu, want to go for a walk?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied. We hollered a goodbye and walked out into the now-dark evening. We talked and laughed lightly in the quiet night, our hands tucked into our pockets, and bumping shoulders occasionally.

"Amu," he said, his tone suddenly serious.

"Y-Yeah?" I stuttered, thrown off by the sudden change in mood.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Though I had a pretty good idea what he was talking about.

"Everything," he said. "The showers, the meals, the special training...everything."

"Why does it matter?" I asked, closing my eyes. "I did them, okay?"

"Amu." I heard him stop, so I did too. "Look at me."

I opened my eyes and saw him looking at me expectantly. I sighed and rubbed my temples. "It was hard without you. You're my best friend, Ikuto. What you go through, I want to experience, too. Doing those things helped me feel closer to you. It was tough, but I'm glad I did it, especially the physical training. That has helped me in so many ways, and even found another family in it. They're great. They're all so different, and there's so much to discover about them. I mean, at first, they all seem really scary and like criminals, but really they're all big teddy bears. There's still a lot to find out about them. And they haven't just changed me, I think I've changed them a little, too. I don't know." I looked down for a second with a small smile before looking back at Ikuto.

He paused for a moment before smiling in amazement. "Yeah, you do kind of have that effect on people."

"W-What?"

"Nothing," he chuckled. "So you did this for all those people?"

Had he heard a thing I just said. Maybe I should put this in simpler terms. "No," I said. He looked at me, confused. "I did this for _you _and_ me_," I enunciated.

His eyes widened slightly, and this time there was definitely a faint red on his cheeks. Yeah, and they call me the dense the one. I shook my head, smiling softly. I started walking away, pleased that he was the one out-of-sorts for once, and he said so quietly that I could barely hear him, "Amu."

I turned to see him looking uncertain about something. "I-I..." he sighed. What was he about to say? "Let's go." He grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind him. We went back to the house in silence where Aruto and Souko were just leaving.

"Ready, Ikuto?" Aruto asked.

Ikuto nodded and whispered in my ear, "I'll be back," before he got in their car. But before he closed the door, I remembered something.

"Hey," I called. "Would you like to go to the gym with me tomorrow?"

He grinned. "I'd love to."

I smiled and went inside to get ready for bed. When I was finally comfortable in my bed, I let out a long sigh. What a day.

And when the balcony door slid open, I didn't even open my eyes. Ikuto climbed in next to me, slipping his arm around my waist, and pulling me to him so that my back was against his chest. I felt him bury his face in my hair, and a little shiver ran down my spine, but I didn't know why.

"Still the same," he said with a content sigh.

"What is?" I asked.

"You smell _so_ good. Like strawberries and roses. You've always smelled like that. But since you're hair's still wet, the scent's even stronger."

I let out a short laugh. "You know what else is still the same?"

"What?"

"If you don't let me go right now, I'm going to kick you off the bed."

"Go ahead and try," he teased, but loosened his grip all the same. For some reason, though, I felt a little disappointed that he did. Though he didn't let me go completely.

After awhile, when I was nearly asleep, Ikuto said quietly, "Amu."

"Hm?" I said sleepily.

"I'm not sure what I'd do without you."

Maybe it's because I was so tired, but I didn't really think about what was coming out of mouth until I already said it. "You'd become a perverted cat cosplay guy who wanders the streets stealing chocolate ice cream and eventually become a bipolar schizophrenic who talks to Rita and Zenzen inside his head all day, debating on whether they—Rita and Zenzen—should go to the carnival with you or not. Then you three would probably find a beautiful cat cosplay girl who'll meow at the moon with you. Then the four of you will live happily ever after." I added the last two sentences with a bit of sourness in my voice.

Ikuto was dead silent. You could practically hear the creaking of the crickets. Then, "What?" His voice broke, and he was cracking up. His laughter shook my body, and soon, I was laughing too. After awhile, we calmed down, and he asked, "Did you just think that up off the top of your head?"

"Maybe...people say strange things when they're half-asleep."

He chuckled quietly into my hair and said, "Well, you are certainly strange."

"H-Hey!"

"Just kidding, kid."

"You can't call me a kid. You're not even a year older than me."

"Ten months. Close enough."

"More like nine and a half."

"The fact that you're arguing this point proves you're a kid. And technically, it's nine months and twenty-four days, so it's closer to a month. You should really be a grade lower than me."

"It's not my fault everyone got mixed up and put me in a year early."

"Good thing, too, or we'd have never met."

I thought for a moment. "I think we still would've met. I mean, people like us would be bound to meet up at some point. Like we're sort of tied together, you know?"

He was quiet for a minute, then he said, " That's a very comforting thought. It could mean that we're never truly separated."

I smiled widely, even though he couldn't see. "Yeah," I said happily. "Always together, no matter where we are."

A small amount of silence passed before Ikuto said, "Oh, and Amu?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd never choose a cat cosplay girl over you, no matter how beautiful she is."

* * *

**Wow. Typing this up felt so weird. Since I wrote all this more than a year ago, I notice so many little glitches here and there. Like Ikuto's hair. You know, the whole military cut thing. Ikuto kinda should have one of those...but I couldn't bring myself to do it. No way lol. I guess this chapter was kind of short. It seemed so to me. Mostly dialogue. But things should pick up in the next few chapters. Anyway, the next chapter will be a lot faster. Promise. Like, super soon. Within the next month at the very least. Probably sooner. No, definitely sooner! Yeah. Please let me know if anything seems wrong or something doesn't quite match up. Thanks for readin!**

**~Stray**


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